SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR JENNY DURKAN PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 AS SEATTLE SYMPHONY DAY

From left: Alexander White (Seattle Symphony & Opera Players’ Organization Chairperson and Assistant Principal Trumpet), Elena Dubinets (Seattle Symphony Vice President of Artistic Planning and Creative Projects), Lisa Herbold (Seattle City Councilmember), Krishna Thiagarajan (Seattle Symphony President and CEO), Dmitriy Lipay (Seattle Symphony Director of Audio and Recording), René Ancinas (Seattle Symphony Board Chair). Photo by James Holt, Seattle Symphony

PROCLAMATION HONORS THE ORCHESTRA AFTER RECEIVING ORCHESTRA OF THE YEAR AWARD BY GRAMOPHONE

“The orchestra has transformed itself into a cherished, integral component of the cultural life of its rapidly growing home city through imaginative programming, collaborations with artists from a diversity of genres, and initiatives that mirror the progressive vision of its audience (including work with the homeless and inmates of local prisons).”

– Thomas May, Gramophone

SEATTLE, WA – Today the Seattle City Council and Mayor Jenny Durkan proclaimed September 24, 2018 as Seattle Symphony Day, in honor of the orchestra’s outstanding achievements that led to being named Orchestra of the Year by Gramophone Magazine. An award that recognizes the artistic excellence of an ensemble, the orchestra was named Orchestra of the Year on September 13, 2018 at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards ceremony in London.

Krishna Thiagarajan, President and CEO of the Seattle Symphony shared today during the proclamation, “The Seattle Symphony is deeply committed to our wonderful city and we have been working very hard to show that through initiatives like the Music Beyond Borders concert and Simple Gifts. Programs like these demonstrate that creativity continues to persevere even under challenging situations. For us at the symphony, it is core to our mission to continue supporting these programs. Thank you to Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council for this honor, and to our wonderful Seattle community for all of your support.”

Since the Seattle Symphony’s first live performance in 1903, it has grown to become a cultural landmark of the city. The Seattle Symphony inaugurated the opening of Benaroya Hall in 1998 and is now celebrating the 20th anniversary of the building. Benaroya Hall welcomes over 400,000 visitors per year and hosts over 400 events presented by the Symphony and other organizations.  

The full text of Seattle Symphony’s recognition is as follows:

A PROCLAMATION HONORING THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY’S AWARD OF
ORCHESTRA OF THE YEAR FOR 2018 

WHEREAS, the Seattle Symphony held its first live performance on December 29, 1903; and

 WHEREAS, in 1998 the Seattle Symphony inaugurated Benaroya Hall, now celebrating its 20th anniversary of welcoming over 400,000 visitors per year to over 400 events presented by the Symphony and other organizations; and 

WHEREAS, the goals of the Seattle Symphony include striving for excellence, creating a culture that reflects its values, and building meaningful connections with its communities; and 

WHEREAS, on February 8, 2017, the Seattle Symphony epitomized these values by presenting, on short notice, the free Music Beyond Borders: Voices from the Seven concert, in response to the executive order restricting travel and immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations; and 

WHEREAS, the Seattle Symphony’s 90 instrumentalists and the 120 volunteer members of the Seattle Symphony Chorale dedicate themselves to unleashing the power of music, bringing people together, and lifting the human spirit; and

WHEREAS, the Seattle Symphony is heard from September through July by more than 500,000 people locally through live performances and radio broadcasts and reaches 65,000 children and adults through its education and community programs; and 

WHEREAS, the Seattle Symphony has recorded over 150 albums, which has resulted in a global audience, 23 Grammy Award nominations, 3 Grammy Awards since 2015, two Emmy Awards, and numerous other accolades; and 

WHEREAS, Ludovic Morlot has served as Music Director from 2011, presenting critically acclaimed performances and thrilling us with his innovative programming; and 

WHEREAS, in 2014 the Seattle Symphony launched Seattle Symphony Media, which has released 21 recordings with Grammy-winning engineer and producer Dmitriy Lipay; and 

WHEREAS, the Seattle Symphony was one of eight international ensembles nominated for the Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone, which recognizes artistic excellence; and 

WHEREAS, at the 2018 Gramophone Classical Music Awards in London, the Seattle Symphony was named Orchestra of the Year; and 

WHEREAS, an essay in Gramophone honoring the Seattle Symphony noted, “The orchestra has transformed itself into a cherished, integral component of the cultural life of its rapidly growing home city through imaginative programming, collaborations with artists from a diversity of genres, and initiatives that mirror the progressive vision of its audience (including work with the homeless and inmates of local prisons).” 

NOW THEREFORE, the City Council and Mayor honor the Seattle Symphony for winning the 2018 Orchestra of the Year Award, and hereby proclaim September 24, 2018 to be: 

SEATTLE SYMPHONY DAY

SEATTLE SYMPHONY

The Seattle Symphony is one of America's leading symphony orchestras and is internationally acclaimed for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since September 2011, the Symphony is heard from September through July by more than 500,000 people through live performances and radio broadcasts. It performs in one of the finest modern concert halls in the world — the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall — in downtown Seattle. Its extensive education and community engagement programs reach over 65,000 children and adults each year. The Seattle Symphony has a deep commitment to new music, commissioning many works by living composers each season. The orchestra has made nearly 150 recordings and has received three Grammy Awards, 23 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. In 2014 the Symphony launched its in-house recording label, Seattle Symphony Media.